House Crusher
House Crusher The Crushers have been lords in practice if not name in the clanlands for hundreds of years before the first Ebarung invaders set foot on this continent, They can trace their lineage back to the first clanlords who took their titles with blood and bronze, The crusher lords helped to form the foundation of government through clanchiefs that held the clanlands together until the War with the Ebarungs. The First lord crusher was granted his title after his father and three elder brothers died fighting the Ebarung invaders, The Saint lord who lead the division "Prosperity" saw potential in the young man even though he was not more than ten years old The crusher family has always been loyal to the Valen crown but has had several uprisings in their own lands, the clanlands have the most unrest and least control over their populous of any of the provinces. The current lord Duncan is known as a quiet and scholarly man who attends his duties carefully, he has served in the armed forces of the kingdoms against chimeria but fought no great battles and has won no glory, he is one of the most reclusive of the Valen lords preffering his home lands to the capital. The crushers are the Earls of the clanlands and call the houses of Kent, Sobieski and Vikernis their bannermen Military The crusher military is known as solid deffenders perhaps the best troops for holding fortresses in the kingdoms The crusher armed forces favour heavy armour and bludgeoning weapons and are known to be immovable in deffence Many great battle wardens trace their history back to the clanlands as the combat styles of the crushers and the order of the whitecloaks are very similar Crusherhold The Crusherhold doubles as a fortress and the seat of Duncan Crusher, It is built in a rigid square shape and most of the complex is dug deep into the hard granite, The entrances are scattered across the fortress and the tunnels to the hold are full of traps and pitfalls, The majority of the tunnels were built by the clans in the years before the coming of the ebarungs as a safe haven away from Mesan soldiers who often invaded the clans after raids seeking revenge. There are many satellite villages that feed resources to crusherhold each one with its own wooden motte & bailey castle, The Crushers favour decentralised opulation bases which makes it very hard to properly asess their population and strengths. The crusherholds main downfall is its lack of food production, It sources enough to ssustain its population from nearby towns but food is always scarce and well protected. Vassals Raithe Walker The walker family has been in service to the crusher family for as long as there has been a crusher family, The walkers are feared as bloodthirsty and terrible warriors with a kind of cold smoldering rage that makes even the bravest man feel uneasy. The walkers have been known for many great atrocties on the battlefield against enemies they consider Craven, Treasonous or dishonorable, Walker children fight their whole lives from the moment they can walk and are given blades to play with as infants. The current lord Walker is a man known as Raithe, He is fiercely loyal to the Crusher family but holds the other realms of the kingdom in contempt bar a grudging respect for those of ebarung descent, Walker rarely leaves the clanlands preffering to ride on patrols and hunt the dangerous creatures of the Clanlands. Angus Mcladden The Mcladden family are one of the most troublesome in all the clanlands, They believe that the crusher are the true kings and the Valens & Mesans conspire to keep them under control. The mcladden lords have started rebellions and had to be decimated three times, the last time by the Crushers themselves, During the last failed rebellion it was rumoured that the entire Mcladden family was killed during a four year siege but after the battle Angus who was just a boy at the time was revealed to still be alive as a ward under the crushers Angus has been a ferverent supporter of the crushers without the rebellious agenda of his ancestors, He is an acomplished warrior and statesman and spends a lot of time away from the clanlands on diplomatic missions and is well known in every feasting hall in the kingdoms, He holds the current record for most ale consumed in one evening. Robert Stag The stag family are a distant branch of the Hart family, A hart lady fell in love with the origional stag lord and they were wed to foster relations between the valens and the clanlords, In the ages since the two families have had many marraiges and alliances and have remained close friends. Despite their ties to the Hart family the Stags are clanlords first and have always supported the clanlands. The current head of the Family Robert harbours a grudge against Baldassar the head of the hart family, Robert attempted to marry his second son to Harts third daughter but was rebuffed, Baldassar then wed one of his bannerwomen to Stags son and has been keeping him as a "Guest" ever since. Bruce Wallace The wallace family is the youngest of the familys in crushers service, they won their position through service policing the villages, killing bandits, guarding trade convoys and collecting taxes. The wallaces are not well liked in the clanlands but are seen as a neccessary evil, The wallaces are very aware of this reaction and even seem to enjoy it by making sure every lord pays every single coin in taxes. The current Wallace lord Bruce has an aura of a thug more than a lord and surrounds himselves with mercenaries and men who look more like Brigands than nobles. Bruce is know for his love of boxing and finances many fighting rings and sporting events, It is rumoured he even supports some underground gladiator fights. Category:NPC